Federal Register: February 20, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 33)
DOCID: fr20fe09-48 FR Doc E9-3665
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Docket ID: [Docket No.: 0812021541-81547-01]
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr20fe09-48
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Measurement, Science and Engineering Research Grants Programs; Availability of Funds
DATES: For all programs listed in this notice applications will be considered on a continuing basis. Applications received after June 1, 2009 may be processed and considered for funding under this solicitation in the current fiscal year or in the next fiscal year, subject to the availability of funds. Applications, paper and electronic, must be received prior to the publication date in the Federal Register of the FY 2010 solicitation for the NIST Measurement, Science and Engineering Research Grants Programs in order to be processed under this solicitation.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the following programs are soliciting applications for financial assistance for FY 2009: (1) The Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program; (2) the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory Grants Program; (3) the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory Grants Program; (4) the Physics Laboratory Grants Program; (5) the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory Grants Program; (6) the Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program; (7) the Fire Research Grants Program; (8) the Information Technology Laboratory Grants Program; (9) the NIST Center for Neutron Research Grants Program; and (10) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Grants Program.
Each program will only consider applications that are within the scientific scope of the program as described in this notice and in the detailed program descriptions found in the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement for these programs. Prior to preparation of a proposal, it is strongly suggested that potential applicants contact the Program Manager for the appropriate field of research, as specified in the FFO announcement found at http://www.grants.gov, for clarification of the program objectives and to determine whether their proposal is responsive to this notice.
SUMMARY:
Measurement, Science and Engineering Research Grants Programs; Availability of Funds
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards11.609.
Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL) Grants Program:
Program Description: The Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL) Grants Program will provide grants and cooperative agreements for the development of fundamental electrical metrology and of metrology supporting industry and government agencies in the broad areas of semiconductors, electronic instrumentation, radiofrequency technology, optoelectronics, magnetics, superconductors, electronic commerce as applied to electronic products and devices, the transmission and distribution of electrical power, national electrical standards (fundamental, generally quantumbased physical standards), and law enforcement standards. Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory. Specific information regarding program objectives can be found in the corresponding Federal Funding Opportunity for this announcement.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
For complete information about this program and instructions for applying by paper or electronically, read the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) at http://www.grants.gov. A paper copy of the FFO may be obtained by calling (301) 9756328. Program questions should be addressed to Sheilda Bryner, Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8100, Gaithersburg, MD 208998100, Tel.: (301) 9752220, Fax: (301) 9754091. Grants administration questions concerning this program should be addressed to: Christopher Hunton, NIST Grants and Agreements Management Division, (301) 9755718; christopher.hunton@nist.gov. For assistance with using http:// www.grants.gov, contact support@grants.gov.
Funding Availability: In fiscal year 2008, the EEEL Grants Program made 7 new awards, totaling $388,497. The amount available each year fluctuates considerably based on programmatic needs and funding availability. For FY 2009, individual awards are expected to range between $5,000 and $150,000.
For the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, proposals will be considered for research projects from one to three years. When a proposal for a multiyear award is approved, funding will generally be provided for only the first year of the program. If an application is selected for funding, NIST has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of NIST. Funding for each subsequent year of a multiyear proposal will be contingent upon satisfactory progress, continued relevance to the mission of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, and the availability of funds. Multiyear awards must have scopes of work that can be easily separated into annual increments of meaningful work that represent solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made available to the applicant (i.e., the scopes of work for each funding period must produce identifiable and meaningful results in and of themselves).
Statutory Authority: As authorized by 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the NIST Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory conducts a basic and applied research program directly and through grants and cooperative agreements to eligible recipients.
Eligibility: The Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants
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Program is open to institutions of higher education; hospitals; non
profit organizations; commercial organizations; state, local, and
Indian tribal governments; foreign governments; organizations under the
jurisdiction of foreign governments; and international organizations.
Review and Selection Process: For the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, proposals will be reviewed in a threestep process. First, the EEEL Grants Coordinator, or the Deputy Director of EEEL, will determine the compatibility of the applicant's proposal with EEEL Program Areas and the relevance to the objectives of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, described in the Program Description section above. If it is determined that the proposal is incomplete or nonresponsive to the scope of the stated objectives, the proposal will not be reviewed for technical merit. If it is determined that sufficient funding is not available to consider grant and cooperative agreement proposals in the technical area of the proposal, the proposal will not be reviewed for technical merit. One copy of any such proposal will be retained for recordkeeping purposes for three years and all remaining copies will be destroyed. Proposers may contact EEEL at 3019752220 to find out if funds have been exhausted for the fiscal year. EEEL will also post a notice on its Web site, http://www.eeel.nist.gov/eeel_grants/, when funds are exhausted for the fiscal year. EEEL will notify proposers in writing if their proposals are not reviewed for technical merit.
Second, proposals will be distributed for technical review by the EEEL Grants Coordinator, or other technical professionals familiar with the programs of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory, to the appropriate Division or Office based on technical area. At least three independent, objective individuals knowledgeable about the particular scientific area addressed by the proposal will conduct a technical review based on the evaluation criteria. If nonFederal reviewers are used, the reviewers may discuss the proposals with each other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis, not as a consensus.
Reviews will be conducted on a monthly basis, and all proposals received on or before the 15th day of the month will be ranked based on the reviewers' scores.
Third, the Division Chief or Office Director will make application selections. In making application selections, the Division Chief or Office Director will take into consideration the results of the reviewers' evaluations, the availability of funding, and relevance to the objectives of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, as described in the Program Description section above. The final approval of selected applications and award of financial assistance will be made by the NIST Grants Officer based on compliance with application requirements as published in this notice and the FFO, compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and whether the recommended applicants appear to be responsible. Applicants may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets and provide supplemental information required by the agency prior to award. The decision of the Grants Officer is final.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years for recordkeeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.
Evaluation Criteria: For the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, the evaluation criteria and weights to be used by the technical reviewers in evaluating the proposals are as follows:
1. Rationality. Reviewers will consider the coherence of the applicant's approach and the extent to which the proposal effectively addresses scientific and technical issues.
2. Technical Merit of Contribution. Reviewers will consider the potential technical effectiveness of the proposal and the value it would contribute to the field of electronics, electrical engineering, and metrology research. Proposals must be relevant to current EEEL research and have a relation to the objectives of ongoing EEEL programs and activities.
3. Qualifications of Technical Personnel. Reviewers will consider the professional accomplishments, skills, and training of the proposed personnel to perform the work in the project.
4. Resources Availability. Reviewers will consider the extent to which the proposer has access to the necessary facilities and overall support to accomplish project objectives.
Each of these factors will be given equal weight in the evaluation process.
Cost Share Requirements: The Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program does not require any matching funds.
Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) Grants Program:
Program Description: The Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) Grants Program will provide grants and cooperative agreements in the following fields of research: Dimensional Metrology for Manufacturing, Mechanical Metrology for Manufacturing, Machine Tool and Machining Process Metrology, Intelligent Systems, and Information Systems Integration for Applications in Manufacturing. Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory. Specific information regarding program objectives can be found in the corresponding Federal Funding Opportunity for this announcement.